{"id":24442,"date":"2019-09-23T00:53:23","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T08:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/?p=24442"},"modified":"2019-09-27T20:25:25","modified_gmt":"2019-09-28T04:25:25","slug":"september-23-2019-needles-and-lake-havasu-city-severe-storms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/2019\/09\/23\/september-23-2019-needles-and-lake-havasu-city-severe-storms\/","title":{"rendered":"September 23, 2019 Needles and Lake Havasu City severe storms"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I was well aware of the decent storm prospects today when I awoke at home. \u00a0A strong upper-level system for late September was dropping south into central California, and would be working on some moisture in western Arizona that was due in part to defunct tropical storm Lorena. \u00a0The shear associated with the upper-level trough might even promote supercells! \u00a0When I saw that SPC had upgraded to “enhanced slight risk” from about Blythe to Phoenix by mid-morning, I decided that I needed to get myself out there.<\/p>\n

It would take four hours just to get to Blythe and the Colorado River. \u00a0I was really hoping NOT to be dragged eastward well into Arizona, as I was planning on driving back home right after the chase. \u00a0Early storms, some strong, developed around Quartzite and Bouse and moved to the east. \u00a0I was still 2-3 hours away! \u00a0I could see the distant activity once I was out by Palm Springs. \u00a0A lot of Arizona chasers were already chasing these storms. \u00a0I would have to hope for new development alter in the afternoon, as I was not going to Phoenix for this midday stuff.<\/p>\n

I made it to Quartzite on I-10 (just east of Blythe and the Colorado River) around 2:30 p.m. \u00a0A mediocre updraft was not too far to the east. \u00a0Skies were mostly sunny where I was, with a few flat cumulus, near the western edge of the decent low-level moisture (with dew points in the low 60s). \u00a0The surface weather map showed a west wind at Blythe — yuck — but here on the north side of Quartzite there was a breeze from the east. \u00a0A healthy east wind was showing up at Needles. \u00a0The morning storms in western AZ had sent out this surge of easterlies, apparently. \u00a0A very robust updraft was visible well to my north, and the latest Radarscope picture on my iPhone showed a good cell in the Laughlin\/Kingman area. \u00a0Since the activity a little east of me on I-10 was looking lame, I elected to start north from Quartzite. \u00a0I really liked the easterly wind at Needles, and there was plenty of sunshine up that way. \u00a0I would be heading away from the enhanced-slight area, though, and into the run-of-the-mill “slight.” \u00a0One other thing, the SPC meso page showed better supercell and severe parameter values in a band east-west up closer to I-40 compared to I-10. \u00a0It seemed like a no-brainer to head north.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I had never been on this road before: \u00a0State Route 95 from Quartzite to Parker. \u00a0There was very little traffic, and it was not Interstate 10, so I was happy! \u00a0At Bouse Wash, southeast of Parker near the junction with Route 72, I noticed a good bit of flow! \u00a0I turned around and parked next to the flash flood —- this looked rather impressive! \u00a0The nearby bridge was a good place to get some images. \u00a0The flash flood was due to storms some 2 to 4 hours earlier upstream to the east, around Bouse. \u00a0Ironically, a tone for a flash flood came on my iPhone moments after I turned around to check this out. \u00a0I think that the warning was for the storm up north, though.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\t\t